“I can end all your struggles and allow you to live here,” he said. “I can make your life easy and carefree, as long as you’re willing to work hard.”
“So you kidnapped me to...give me room and board?” I retorted. “Doesn’t sound like any rental agreement I’ve ever read.”
He stared at me hard. “Do not get cocky with me, son. I will drop you so fast your head will spin.” He let out a long breath. “I’m giving you a chance at a wonderful life, and I expect a little respect. Many would jump at a chance like this. I don’t just let anyone into Oxford.”
“I respect that, sir. I do. But I was fine with the life I had before I was abducted.”
Kirk crossed his arms, clearly unhappy that I wasn’t jumping on his offer. “I know you are trying to think of an escape plan, but it’s pointless. The only way out of this city without my permission is in a body bag,” he said. “The choice is yours.”
My brow rose. “So my choice is to join you or die?”
“I could just kill you and leave you in a zombie state, but I’m a nice guy. It’d be the least I could do to end it for you once and for all. Then I’d haul your corpse out of my city, along with the other garbage. As I said, the choice is yours.”
“Not much of a choice, if you ask me,” I said.
“So you’ll join us?”
“Do I get a house, a white picket fence, and a golden retriever?” I asked snidely.
“Sorry, but no. You won’t be a citizen but an entertainer.”
Deluded freak, I thought, resisting my urge to shake my head at him. “I’m afraid I can’t sing or dance, so it’s best we end this right now.”
“You can dance rather well in combat, my young friend. I need a good fighter.”
I blinked in shock. “A fighter?”
“You have the heart, drive, and motivation I’m looking for. You’re coordinated and have strength, speed, and endurance. I saw your skills back in the alley. You can fight, and that was what saved your life. My men wanted to put a bullet in your head, but that would have been such a waste of rare talent. Your technique needs a bit of shining up, but I will provide you with dedicated coaches and trainers. They will push you to be your best and sharpen your skills in daily training. With my help, you will become a champion.”
“I just want to be...a survivor,” I muttered.
He met my gaze straight on. “And you will be, on my terms.”
I glanced at the well-guarded door and thought of Jackie and Asia. It was then that I knew he just might be right.
Chapter 12
“What skills are you trained in?” Kirk asked.
“None in particular. I do a little boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and some other mixed martial arts. I’m a jack-of-all-trades.” Nick and the others had taught me all sorts of things, a little of everything, but I certainly wasn’t Muhammad Ali or Bruce Lee, and I wasn’t sure who he’d expect me to fight. Mostly, I wanted to try my skills on him and get the heck out of there, but I didn’t have that option yet.
“Well, son, that can be a curse more than anything. If you don’t have one glaring strength, it may all be over for you. We’ll work on it, but it will take a lot of dedication on your part. You will undergo intense training and practice sparring. We will employ old-school methods, with heavy punching bags and jump ropes.”
“So, this champion thing... I have to remain undefeated?”
“I’d love that, but we both know it’s unrealistic. Just try your hardest and give us a good fight. As I said, it is more about the entertainment factor.”
“Like pro wrestling. Gee, do I get free steroids and a script too?” I joked.
He refused to laugh and just shook his head. “No, but as long as you fight and keep us entertained, I’ll provide you with food, shelter, protection, and a wonderful life. You’ll never want to leave.”
“It does sound like a fair deal,” I said. Of course, I would have said anything to stay on his good side.
“You can go to bed at night with peace of mind, knowing you’re safe.”
I nodded, as if intrigued by the idea. “Clearly, you want me pretty bad. Is that why you took my girlfriend and friend? As collateral?” I asked.
“You’re a good fighter,” he said. “I know you’ll give us a great show, but so will they.”
“What!?” I asked, horrified.
“We have lost four female fighters. Asia is tough, a real fighter, just like you. She has a mouth that we will have to teach her to contain a bit, but I have high hopes for her in the women’s division.”
Suddenly, it all made horrific sense to me. The man in the alley had suggested leaving Asia after she was bashed with the bat, but a redhead had disagreed. “She’ll work,” she had said. They were looking for fighters, and we fit the bill.
Kirk’s gaze narrowed. “I see you’re in deep thought.”
“Leave the girls out of this!” I said, the words tumbling angrily out of my mouth.
He crossed his arms. “They, like you, were chosen for this specific purpose. They will fight.”
“They’re not gladiators.”
“I beg to differ, my boy. I have seen them in action.”
“You didn’t make them fight in the alley, so how would you know? Asia was knocked unconscious.”
“Prior to that, she put up one heck of a fight. Jackie had a gun up against her temple, so there was little she could do, but I can see a fighting spirit in her. Besides, I’m not as choosy with women. They are more for...aesthetics. They keep the guys happy, keep the morale up, and attract lots of attention. They’re beautiful. Yes, they are underdogs, second billing, because the men are the real fighters, the stars of the show, but that’s fine. It’s a matter of tempering the beasts with a little beauty, I suppose. We like to offer our audience a little something for everyone.”
My blood boiled, and it took everything I had not to knock him out. “This is another Kingsville,” I said, horrified. “You’re forcing people to fight.”
“I’ve heard about that place, but this is not at all the same. Frankly, I’m insulted by that remark. They just threw people into an arena with no experience and made them fight zombies. How can you compare us to savages? You won’t fight zombies here. This is a fight club. You’ll fight in a boxing ring or a cage, like proper humans.”
“Proper humans, huh?” As I processed his words, I let out a long breath. I’d been abducted to be forced into a modern-day coliseum. They didn’t know they had chosen wrong, because Lucas or Nick would have been much better choices when it came to fighting, but I didn’t say a word about that. I could only hope they were safe and sound, comforting Val through the pain I knew she was facing in the wake of Max’s death and the three of us being abducted.
“You passed my alley test, and you even passed my weapons test,” he said.
“Your weapons test?”
“When that scrawny woman came into your room to offer you food, you were the only one with the cojones to use the makeshift weapons against her. You fought back because that is what a man does. As for the others, those pathetic maggots who insisted on sending the tuna cans and glass jar back with Eva so she wouldn’t get in trouble...well, let’s say their heads deserve to be introduced to a bullet. Luckily, they joined in on your crusade.”
I swallowed hard. I was the one who’d really taken pity on Eva. Had she not let me in on what was going on, I would have been killed. The woman had saved my life, and I had no idea how to thank her, other than to figure out a way to escape and take her with us. It was clear that Kirk wasn’t ready to kill me, and he wanted to keep me around for his own selfish gain. As long as I played along and gained his trust, I figured I could buy the time to get me, Jackie, Eva, and Asia out of there. Now that I knew what was going on, I knew what I had to do to survive. I had to be tough and never show weakness. That was what they wanted, and it was the only reason they had spared my life.
“I have to admit,” I said. “It was hard out there.”
/>
He softly patted my back. “I know it was. You are a tough kid and don’t like to admit defeat, but things will be better now. You will have no more worries here. Let us take care of you.”
I pretended to be touched by his kind remarks, but they really turned my stomach. “No one has ever cared about me besides Jackie and Asia,” I lied.
“We can be the family you’ve never had.”
I did my best to pretend to fall for it. Without his trust, I had little chance of figuring out a suitable escape plan. It was clear that he was nuts; he actually seemed to believe I would trust him after he abducted me. I wondered how many people had fallen for his line of crap, because I certainly wasn’t going to. I just had to make him think I did. I clenched my fists. “So...I earn my keep by fighting?”
He slapped me on the back. “Brains as well as brawn! You’re figuring things out already!”
“Uh...are the fights, um...to the death?” I asked hesitantly.
“No. Death does serve as punishment here, but you will avoid it if you behave. All we want is a good, old-fashioned fight. What good would it be for me to kill you if you lose a fight? I can’t go around executing my best fighters, can I?”
“With all due respect, how is there time for this?” I asked. “I mean, how do you people just hole up here, in your own little world? We should be out there fighting zombies, not people.”
“Everyone in this city works hard to keep the zombies out. These people work their butts off all day long. The fights are held a couple times a week. It is a time to let loose. We just drink and enjoy a good fight, blow off some steam.”
“I’m surprised the liquor store isn’t depleted yet.”
He chuckled. “No need for that, my boy. We even make our own moonshine.”
Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Kirk said.
Two men led Jackie inside. She ran over to me, and I held her tight in my arms.
“I’ll let you two talk,” he said. “I know you have a lot to discuss.” Then, just like that, Kirk left the room, with his goons in tow.
As soon as the door shut behind them, I smiled at Jackie. It felt so good to have a moment alone with her. When I looked at her face, I noticed she had a bloody lip. “Oh my gosh, babe! What did they do to you?” I asked, anger flooding my voice. “I’m gonna kill them!” I shouted.
“If I don’t do it first,” she said.
Chapter 13
It broke my heart to see that Jackie had been injured. I felt it was my job to protect her, but they’d kept me locked up. “I’m so sorry, Jackie. What happened?”
“I have a trainer,” she said. “I got this during a practice fight with some tough girl.”
I cupped her face. “I’m going to get us out of here,” I whispered.
“Do you know why we’re here?” she asked.
“Yes. Kirk just told me about the fights.”
“It’s freaking crazy! They kidnapped us to be their stupid entertainment, and they think housing, food, and shelter makes it okay. They acted like they were doing me some kind of favor, like I’d won the lottery or something, but I don’t want to be here.”
“I think they try to pick people they think are down on their luck, good fighters who are struggling to survive. I’m sure many people have jumped on the deal right away, and I guess they expected us to as well.”
“They made a mistake when they picked us,” she said. “I don’t want anything they have to offer. I just want to leave.”
“I know...and we will as soon as we can,” I whispered, combing hair out of her face. “How’s Asia?”
“They let me see her. She’s pretty angry, but she’s okay.”
“Good,” I said, “on both counts.”
“They’re making us fight,” she muttered, her eyes growing wide with terror. “We weren’t even given a choice.”
“They deny that it’s the same, but it’s like Kingsville all over again,” I muttered.
“They try to play it off like they’re helping us out, but we’re still prisoners. If we refuse to fight, they’ll kill us. Did he give you that body bag speech?”
“Yeah,” I said, shaking my head. “Where are these fights taking place?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. There are lots of different events. I’ve been trying to talk to anyone who will tell me anything. They didn’t exactly give me a written job description or employee handbook.”
“Well, have you managed to find anything out?” I asked.
“They have regular boxing matches, knife fights, street fights, cage fights, and more. For punishment, they make opponents fight on a platform, an old stage in the center of some town a couple of hours from here. They call it Blood Fest. VIPs have prime seating on a rooftop that overlooks the stage.”
“The rooftop? Why from up there?” I asked, wrinkling my brow in confusion.
“Because the stage is surrounded by zombies. The goal is to knock the other fighter into the surrounding herd. It’s a fight to the death. Try not to make any waves, or you might end up there.”
“And he claims this isn’t Kingsville.”
She sighed. “I said the same thing. They justify it because they don’t force people to fight zombies. For the most part, it’s a human-on-human fight club, unless you fall off the stage at Blood Fest.”
“And what happens to the winner?”
“There’s a rope or a ladder to climb up to the second floor, but it’s like...a Thunderdome thing. Two men enter, one man leaves.”
“They’re insane!”
“I know. Since we’re amateurs, we’ll fight in a boxing ring, with gloves. Later, we’ll fight bare-fisted, with no referee and no protection. And no rules apply. Some of the girls have missing teeth, swollen eyes, and shattered knuckles. They try to pretend it’s all very civilized, just for entertainment, but it’s bloody, ugly, and brutal. They take bets and trade things like food and supplies. Some of the girls play dirty too. They bite, head-butt, and do whatever it takes to win.”
“This is crazy,” I breathed out.
“The boxing matches are held in a twenty-four-foot square ring. The rounds are three minutes, with one-minute breaks in between. If you get knocked down, you have ten seconds to get up before the fight is over. The losers aren’t killed, but they are punished. I’m not sure what that entails, but I know it’s not good.” She let out a long breath. “The only thing in our favor is that they have amateur and professional divisions. At least I won’t have to go up against one of those girls who’s been here forever and knows how to deliver a sucker-punch in three seconds flat.”
“I don’t know what to do. That psycho is waiting for an answer from me.”
“There’s only one answer to give him, baby. If you don’t tell him yes, he’ll kill you.” She moved close to me and whispered in my ear. “We have to stall until we figure out an escape. Asia and I already told him we’d love to stay.”
I gripped her hands. “I met Eva. She saved my butt. I’ve gotta get her out too.”
She nodded. “Yeah, she’s one of the good ones. Just stay strong. This isn’t forever.”
“Where are they keeping you?”
“Somewhere across the complex. I’m not sure exactly.”
“I’m gonna get a guard to open my door, then find you. We’ll hop over the fence.”
“You make it sound so easy. They’re expecting that. We’re under constant supervision, heavy security. I know you know lots of moves, but you can’t fight off a dozen of them. You just can’t. We need to go slow, earn their trust until they let their guard down. Then we take the first opportunity to hop the fence, and we take Asia and Eva with us. For now, let’s play the game and pretend to like it here. They won’t kill us right off the bat, as long as we behave.”
“Right, because they need us. See what happens when no one has cable?” I joked.
She playfully nudged me.
“Seriously, we need to get out alive,” she sa
id. “Just go with it for a few days. If you get all hotheaded like your big brother and Lucas and try some stupid escape plan without being smart, we’re in trouble. Just wait for Eva, like Asia and I are. She knows this place, and she’ll come up with a better plan. Going out of here in a blaze of glory isn’t the right move.”
“Yeah, all right.” I looked off. “I hope Val’s doing okay.”
“I wish we could be there for her. Your brother has to be going nuts, Val and Claire too. I bet they’re all searching for us.”
“They’re not gonna find us here. We have to play this smart and get out on our own. Keep pretending like you’re thankful they’re giving you a safe place to live and food to eat. We need to gain their trust, all the while searching for the perfect opportunity to escape.”
She nodded.
“I don’t want you out there in the ring,” I said. “Eva needs to get us out before the really dangerous fights start.”
“She’s working on it. Any tips if I do have to fight?”
“Establish the win in your mind before you ever even set foot in the ring. In the early rounds, try to figure out your opponent’s strengths and weakness. Fighting is a mental contest as much as a physical one. You have to be able to think as quickly as you throw punches.”
“Anything else?”
“Hmm. Well, in this super corny old boxing movie I saw once—called Gladiator, ironically—there was some great advice. The old boxing coach guy said, ‘When you’re weak, you act strong, and when you’re strong, you pretend to be weak.’ This will throw your opponent off and allow you to pull some sneak attacks.”
“I can do this. It’s like a game of chess. I just need to be two moves ahead.”
“Swing hard for her chin, throwing all your weight into it. Just remember that a punch doesn’t just come from your arms. It comes from a force that passes through your body, starting in your toes, riding up your body, and extending all the way to your fist.”
“Right. But if I put all my power into it, won’t I break my hands? I mean, eventually, they’ll make us fight without gloves.”
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